Impeovement in potato-diggers



@eine gta-tts attat @fittizi JEL E. GILES AND` GHARLESS. MCROBERT, OF' MEADS MILLS, -MICHGAN.

' l Letters Patent No. 66,145, dated June 2,5, 1867.,

IMPROVEMENT IN Porno-moeras.

TO ALL WHOM 1T MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that we, JOL E.' GILES and CHARLES S. MCRBRT of Meads Mills, in the county of Wayne, and'State of Michigan, have invented a new and improved Potato-Digger; and we do hereby` declare thatthc following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a side view of our improved machine.

Figure 2 is a top or plan View of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

Our invention has for its objectto furnish an improved machine, by means ot" which the potatoes-may be readily and conveniently dug, and separated from the soil raised with and adhering to them; and it consists in the construction of the digger or plough and screen, and in their combination with each other and with the frame of the machine; in the combination of the axle, lever, and chain with each other and with the frame of the machine; and in operating the screen 'from the drive wheel or wheels of the machine, by means of a crankwheel shaft and gear-wheels, the whole being constructed and arranged as hereinafter more fully described.

A. is the frame of the machine, to which the tongue B is attached in such a way that when the j:draught is applied the apparatus will be held in a proper working position. C is the axle, which works in bearings in the frame A, near its forward end, and upon which the drive-wheels D revolve. The axle C at the sides of the] frame A is bent twice at right angles, so as to have the form of a double crank, as shown in ig. 2. By partially revolving the axle, the frame A may he raised more or less, so as to regulate the depth at which the digger runs, or to raise it entirely from the ground, as may be desired. '.lo the middle part of the axle Gis rigidly attached a lever E, having a chain, F, attached to its upper end. The other end of the chain Fis attached to the rear end of the frame A, as shown in rigs. 1 and 2. i

By operating the chain F, thc axle C may be adjusted in any desired position. The chain F is secured in place, holding the levcrE and axle C in position, by passing one of its links over the pin G, attached to the rear end of the frame A. His the digger, which is a broad, pointed metallic plate, secured to the forward part of the frame A by rods I, and having a removable point, t, bolted to its forward part or edge. The plate I-I may, it' desired, be replaced by an iron frame or rack, the rods or hars of which should run parallel with the rods ofthe shaker. These rods Iinuy be made adjustable hy cutting screw-threads upon their upper ends, and placing nuts upon theml above and below the timbers of the frame A. The digger-plate has a groove formed in its rear edge, in which isrpivoted the forward end of the screen or shaker J by a bolt, K, as shown in gs. 1 and 2. L are Aprongs attached to the upper side of the digger-plate H, near its rear edge, and inclined rearward, so as to break up the earth as it passes up to thescreen J, to enable the potatoes to be more readily separated fronbthe earth by the said screen. The rear end of the screen J is supported by the bars or rods M, thelower ends of which are pivoted to the rear end ot' the screen J, and 'their upper ends are adjustlably piroted to the rear end of the frame A, soV that the pitch of the screw may be regulated as desired. j are the side bars or i'ods of the shaker, which project above the upper surface ofsaid shaker, and the ends of which should be adjustably attachedto the side bars of the shaker-frame, so that the said rods may be adjusted as desired. These said rods keep the potatoes from falling from the sides of the shaker, and compel them to pass oil' at its rear end. Upon the `sides of one `or both of thcwheels D is formed or attached a bevel gearwhecl, N, into the teeth of which mesh the teeth of the pinion-wheel O, attached to the end of the shaft P, which revolves in bearings formed in the ends'cf the arms R, attached to the frame A. To the rear end ofthe shaft P is attached a wheel, S, which acts both as a balance-wheel and as a. crank-wheel, to agitate the screen J. The screen J is connected to the wheel S by a crank-pin, T, passing through an a-rm, U, projecting frm the said screen. Several holes are-made through the wheel at different-distances from its axis, so that the stroke of the screen may be regulated as desired. The rims of the wheels D have spurs formediupon them, to enable them to take a better hold upon the ground, and to prevent their slipping. The drawings represent the device'for agtating the screen as being attached to only one side of the machine, but we prefer to attach. it toboth sides, to prevent side draught. The screen Jis formed by attaching longitudinal slats or bars to a rectanglar frame.

The rear ends of the said longitudinal slatsor bers should be ndjustably attached to said frame, so' that they may be adjusted to make the surface of 'the screen more or less concave, as desired. I

Having thus described our invention, what we claim 'as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- 1. The digger H and screen J, constructed substantially as herein shown and described, in combination with each other, and with the frame A, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination of the axle C, lever Emd chain F with each other :md with the frame A, substantially as herein shown and described', and for the purpose lsot forth. Y i

3. Operating the screen J from the drive-wheel or Wheels D, by means ofthe bevel geur-wheel N, pinion- Wheel O,sha1"t P, wheel S, and :trui U, substantially as herein shown and described.

JOEL E. GILES, CHARLES MCROBERT.

Witnesses W. D. WHALEN, F. R. BEAL. 

